DAISY. 45 



one hundred and fifty little florets, those in the 

 centre being of a tubular shape and containing the 

 anthers, whilst those near the margin are ligulate 

 or of a flat shape, and to each of them is attached 

 a stigma. The use of the petals which form a ray 

 round these little yellow florets is to secure them 

 from the effects of inclement weather, until the 

 pollen of the anthers is discharged on the stigmas 

 so as to prepare seed for future plants ; and when 

 this part of the economy of Nature is performed, 

 the ray of the daisy remains expanded, and does not 



Shut when Titan goes to bed, 

 but remains open until the petals decay. 



The single daisy, which was seized in the mea- 

 dows and brought into the garden by Vertumnus, 

 being placed out of its natural situation, has taken 

 new habits, which prevent its propagating itself by 

 seed, as the effect of transplanting and cultivation 

 in richer soils has been that of transforming the 

 yellow florets into petals, until the flower has be- 

 come so completely doubled as to lose all appear- 

 ance of the disk ; but, like the Double Hepatica, 

 it is easily propagated by parting the roots almost 

 at any season of the year, though the most favour- 

 able time is from the middle of September to the 

 middle of October, as they will then flower stronger 

 in the spring than those plants which are divided 

 in February. It is recommended to divide the 



